Ball making machine



y 23, 1940. o. v. OSBORNE V 2,208,595 v BALL MAKING MACHINE .Filed Dec. 13, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet l IIIIIIII art U J9 IIIII'III E 5/ I a jgzcf w g July 23, 1940.

O. V. OSBORNE BALL MAKING MACHINE Filed Dec. 13, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WW Maw M V o will be rounded off during Patented July 23, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 7 Claims.

This invention relates to ball making machines use in the formation of balls by the forging process. I

An object of this invention is to provide a ball making machine wherein small irregular articles which are properly heated may be inserted in the intake portion of the machine and such objects the passage thereof through the machine until the objects attain the desired diameter and spherical configuration.

Another object of this invention is to provide a ball making machine of this type which is provided at the intake end thereof with laterally movable die members which are provided with an irregular ball making surface or groove so that where the article being made into a ball has an irregular surface the configuration of the groove will tend to smooth out the surface of the article so that the article will readily pass through the remaining portion of the machine. and therein be formed into a sphere of suitable diameter.

A further object of this invention is to provide a plurality of spring pressed die members which may be properly tensioned so as to exert the necessary pressure on the heated article in order to shape the article into a sphere or ball.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a die structure which includes stationary die members and rotatable die members, the stationary die members being. capable of adjustment toward or away from the rotatable die members.

To the above objects and to others which may hereinafter appear, the invention consists of the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be more specifically referred to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein is shown an embodiment of the invention, but it is to be understood that changes, variations and modifications may be resorted to which fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a detail side elevation of a ball making machine constructed according to an embodiment of this invention,

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2--2 of Figure 1, i

Figure 3 is a sectional view partly in detail taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2-, I

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional View taken on the line 4-4 of Figure l, I v

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 5--5 of Figure 1,

Figure 6 is a plan view of one of the die mem-' bers used with this machine,

Figure 7 is a plan view of another of the die members used with this machine, and v Figure 8 is a view showing in one position thereof the front elevation of a die adjusting plate and in another position thereof an end elevation of the same plate.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral Ill designates generally a base structure and the numerals I l and I2 designate vertically disposed spaced apart plates forming a housing which are secured to the base In by means of angle members I3 and M respectively. The angle members l3 and I4 have one leg thereof secured to the base plate Ill by'means of fastening devices l5 in the form of rivets or the like and the other leg of the angle members l3 and I4 is secured on the inner face of the plates II and I2 by means of bolts or fastening members H5. The plate 12 has a bushing or bearing I1 having a flange it which is secured to the outer side of the plate 12 by means of bolts or fastening members IS. The two plates I I and I2 are preferably rectangular in side elevation and these two plates are held in spaced apart relation by means of triangularly shaped corner members 20 which are secured to the plates II and l2 by means of bolts 2|. A drive shaft 22 is journalled through the bearing l1 and the shaft 22 is adapted to be connected to a suitable source of power supply. The shaft 22 has a ribbed wheel or annular member 23 fixed thereto and this wheel constitutes a carrier or support for a rotatable outer die member to be referred to. The wheel 23 is provided with a laterally extending endless flange 24 on one side thereof. The inner edge or face of the flange 24 is provided with a right angularly disposed endless outer die member seat 25. An annular or ring-shaped outer die member 26 which is provided with an endless groove 21 on the inner periphery thereof is seated in the seat 25 being secured by means of bolts 28 or the. like.

The groove 21 is substantially semi-circular in transverse section and forms one-half of a die structure for forming a ball or sphere. A primary I set of endwise abutting stationary radially adjustable tensioned inner die members 29 of segmental contour and a secondary set of endwise abutting stationary radially adjustable tensioned inner die members 30 of segmental contour are disposed within the circle described by the outer die member 26 and are also arranged in juxtaposition to the groove 21 of member 26. The leading one of the inner die members of the set 30 has its follower end abut the rear end of the follower outer die member of the set 29. The inner die members 29 and 36 are secured to a plate 3| which is carried by a suspended supporting block or body member 32. The body member 32 is provided with a pair of spaced apart flanges 33 and 34 and the plate 3! is secured to the flange 33 by means of bolts 35. The flange 3G is secured to the plate II by means of bolts or fastening devices '35. The block or body member 32 is provided with a bore 3lthrough which the shaft 22 projects and a collar 38 is secured to the shaft 22 and abuts against a sleeve 39 which is integral with the body 32 and projects through an opening 4!] provided in the wall or plate member I i. The shaft 22 is rotatable relative to the body or block 32.

The body or block 32 is provided with a. plurality of circumferentially spaced apart plates 4! on the outer edges thereof which extend between the flanges 33 and 34 and if desired may be welded or otherwise fixedly secured to the flanges 33 and M. A shoe 42 bears against the die 30 at the discharge end of the device and intermediate shoe members 43 extend against the abutting ends of the abutting die member 30 as shown in Figure 3. The shoe or pressure member 42 is provided with a stud .4 about which a spring 45 engages and the spring 35 is tensioned by means of a threaded member '58 having a collar 41 bearing against the inner end of the spring 45. spring tensioning member 45 is threaded through a plate 45. The shoe 43 is constructed somewhat similar to the shoe 52 except that thehead of this shoef43 is longer. The shoe 43 has a stud 45 about which one end of a tensioning spring 49 engages. The spring 49 is tensioned by means of a threaded tensioning member having a collar 55 bearing against the inner end of the spring 49. Each die 38 is provided on the inner side thereof with a lug '52 having an elongated opening 53 therethrough and the die adjusting and holding bolt 56 extends through the opening 53. The bolt 54 extends through plates 55 having a lug 55 loosely engaging in an opening 51 provided in each of the plates 5 l and 3'! The die members 29 are preferably formed of two portions 58 and 55, each having grooved portions 6i] and '5! respectively, and the two die portions 58 and 55 are adapted to be held in face abutting relation by tensionable means including a bolt 62 which extends through the inner portions of the two die members 58 and 59 and a spring 63 is disposed about the bolt 52 bearing; at one end against the die member 59 and at the other end against an adjustable or tensioning nut 64.

The bolt 52 andithe spring '63 project outwardly or laterally through the plate II, the plate H having a relatively large opening 65 through which the bolt 52 and the spring 53 may project. The die members 29 tensioned by means of shoe -members 42 and 43* are similar to the shoes 42 and 43.

The shoe 32* has a spring 455 bearing thereagainst which engages about a stud 4 5 and a threaded tensioning member 15* having a collar t1 bears against the inner end of the spring 45 Theshoe 43 is tensioned by a spring 49 which is adjusted by an adjustable tensioning member 55. The threaded'member'50 has a collar 5W fixed thereto which bears against the inner end of the spring 49 The outward movement of the die members 29 is limited by means of limiting bolts 65 extendingthrough relatively large openings 51 provided in the die members 29 and these bolts 66 are radially adjusted by adjusting plates 58 having lugs 69 extending into openings Ml provided in the plates H and GI.

The

- member 26 is rotated it carries inserted in the intake end 12, the irregular sur-' face on the block or body H will roll over the irregular grooves 60 and 61 and have the sharp corners thereof rolled out. In the present instance, there are provided two die members 29 which have an irregular groove in the outer portion thereof, but I do not wish to be limited to the particular number of irregularly grooved and split members'29. There are also shown at least three die members 30 which are provided in the outer surface thereof with a smooth groove 13 so that the article II will have the outer surface thereof formed into a smooth surface which will be symmetrical and in the present instance will be spherical in configuration.

Plate H is provided with a plurality of radially disposed openings it confronting the springs for the die tensioning shoes and the die tensioning members and is also provided with an intake opening 15 adjacent the first die member 29. The

.plate 5 i is also provided with a discharge opening inner die member of the set30.

In the use and operation of this ball making machine, the heated article if is passed through the intake opening 15 and received in the intake groove portion 12 of the stationary ball forming die structure. The rotatable member 23 is rotated by 'the shaft 22 and as the rotatable member 23 rotates in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed'in Figure 3, the article 1i will be forced into the grooves 60, 6| and the groove 21. The highest point of the grooves 65 and SI is substantially deeper than the depth of the groove 13 in the die members 38 so that the heated article 1| will gradually be reduced in size or rolled to shape and will gradually be formed into a ball as it moves past the two stationary die members 29. The pressure on these die members 29 may be properly adjusted by the tensioning members 50 As the annular die therewith the hot ball member H which after passing the two die members 29 will enter the groove 13 of the die members 30 which are adjusted toward the annular die member 26 by means of the die adjusting bolts 54. These bolts 54 limit the outward movement of the die members 30 so that the article 1! will not assume a lop-sided or oval configuration.

By providing the die members 29 in split form the initially rough shaped article II will be more gradually rolled to the desired configuration due to the fact that the two die portions 58 and 59 are tensioned against each other and are permitted by this tensioning to move apart slightly under the pressure of the springs 63.

What I claim is 1. In a machine for making spherical bodies, a suspended upstanding rotatable carrier having one side thereof provided'with a laterally extended endless flange formed 'on its inner edge with an annular seat, an outer annular die member secured against said set and having its inner inner die members edge provided with an endless groove, an upstanding suspended stationary supporting means encompassed in spaced relation by said outer die member, a housing common to said carrier and means having an intake opening and a'discharge opening, a rotatable shaft extending through said housing, carrier and means fixed to said carrier and free of connection to said means, a primary set of endwise abutting stationary radially adjustable tensioned inner die members of segmental contour formed with continuous endwise registering grooves in their outer edges disposed in juxtaposition to the groove in the outer die member, a secondary set of endwise abutting stationary radially adjustable tensioned inner die members of segmental contour formed with continuous cndwise registering grooves in their outer edges disposed in juxtaposition to the groove in the outer die member, the groove in the leading one of the secondary set of inner die members registering with the groove in the follower one of the primary set of inner die members, the leading one of the secondary set of having its leading end abutting the follower end of the leading one of the primary set of inner die members, means for connecting said sets of inner die members to said housing and said supporting means, and spaced shoes connected to and radially disposed relative to said supporting means, said shoes abutting against the inner edges of the said inner die members and being provided with adjustable tensioning means for said inner die members.

2. The invention as set forth in claim 1 having said supporting means in the form of an axially apertured polygonal-shaped block formed in its outer edge with an endless groove, an apertured plate secured to one side of and extended from the block and spaced plates disposed circumferentially of the outer edge of said block and being formed with openings through which parts of said shoes extend.

3. The invention as set forth by claim 1 having each of said die members of said primary set formed of a pair of lengthwise aligned resiliently connected sections, the sections of each inner die member of the primary set having coacting complemental means to provide the groove on the inner edge of the die member.

4. The invention as setforth in claim 1 having the walls of the grooves of the inner die members of the primary set irregular throughout, the walls of the grooves of the inner die members of the secondary set smoothed throughout, and the wall of the groove of the outer die member smoothed throughout.

5. The invention as set forth in claim 1 having said means for connecting the sets of inner die members to said housing and said supporting means including plates for adjusting the inner die members.

6. The invention as set forth in claim 1 having the leading end of the outer die member of the primary set of inner die members aligning with and spaced from the follower end of the follower die member of the secondary set of inner die members.

'7. The invention as set forth in claim 1 haviog one side of said housing provided with spaced openings for access to the tensioning means carried by the shoes.

ORIEN V. OSBORNE. 

